


Swaying in the Moonlight

by Asaaranda



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Implied Relationships, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 10:50:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20357254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asaaranda/pseuds/Asaaranda
Summary: Lysithea von Ordelia is a very busy girl, thank you very much. She certainly doesn't wish to waste precious time on frivolous things like meeting a paramour beneath the Goddess Tower to test silly superstitions about fate and romance. And she's certainly not bitter that no one's asked her to the ball. There certainly isn't a beautiful woman with orchid eyes and a fierce determination that she wishes would ask her. Even if it would be kind of nice...





	1. Chapter 1

**Lysithea**

The cycle of the Ethereal Moon was almost over, and the days leading up to the anniversary of the founding of Garreg Mach and the annual ball celebrating its establishment were filled with a flurry of barely contained excitement threatening to boil over. Students chattered away with one another in corners during off-periods, or bravely ventured across the dining hall on dares to ask their would-be paramours out to the dance. An air of romance and hope had swelled within the Academy… well, for almost everyone, anyway. 

Lysithea frowned, and then mentally pinched herself for feeling sorry for herself. So what if no one had asked her to join them at the ball? She certainly didn’t wish to waste precious time on frivolous things like meeting a paramour beneath the Goddess Tower to test silly superstitions about fate and romance. She had entire volumes of books to study, new spell patterns to memorize, and her swordplay had been much neglected over the previous month’s various interruptions. 

Still, as she sat in the library - blissfully alone now - she couldn’t keep away the hint of bitterness that had settled in because of the atmosphere of lovey-dovey nonsense. They still viewed her as a child… all of them. She could guess why.  
  
She was the youngest, even if it was only by a few months compared to Petra. But even she had to admit that the girl from Brigid had developed… a lot for her age. Lysithea knew that part of her short height and stunted growth had to do with the experiments forced upon her as a child. Another reminder of why she hated her Crests. They were the reason that she would always look this way no matter how much time passed. Hers would always be a child’s body. A child’s face. She’d never have the mature, womanly grace of someone like Mercedes… would never have the beauty and figure of someone like Dorothea. She’d always be small, always pale. Who would possibly see beyond that? None of the idiots at this Academy, that’s for certain. 

She’d give anything to be rid of her Crests… anything to just be normal. To have her vibrant hair back. To have somebody… anybody ask her if she was going to the ball, even if she truly had no desire to do so. Just to have the option… just to be treated like a human being for once.  
  
Somehow while she was lost in her thoughts, the world had gone blurry, and as she blinked it all away, fresh splashes matched the blotted, spoiled splotches of blurred ink on her notes beneath her. She bit her lip and cursed herself for crying over something so foolish and dabbed at the watery stains until they were dry enough to safely pack her papers up and go back to her room. But she heard murmurs from just outside the entryway to the library, and felt herself wilt at the thought of someone seeing her red-faced rushing back to her room on a day like today. Reluctantly she propped a book open to pretend to read until she could safely sneak back to her room in peace. But the snatches of conversation grew louder and drifted inside.

“...honestly… the whole affair sounds much too exhausting for me. I think I plan to sleep in.”

“No way dude. Nu-uh, no way am I letting us be the only two guys at the ball without dates. This kind of thing is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We could meet the girls of our dreams.” 

“Caspar, the only girl of my dreams I ever intend to meet is _ in _ my dreams, so mingling with overexcited classmates is directly contrary to my goals _ and _ desires.”

“You at least gotta help me find a date, Linhardt.”

“Who would you even ask? We don’t have terribly many girls in our own class. Petra and Dorothea already have dates, and Bernadetta will be locked in her room as usual. Don’t tell me you were thinking of asking Edelgard.”

“Hubert would kill me with a capital K. But, you know… I was thinking that Annette from the Blue Lions house is pretty cute.”

“Hmm… overeager, constantly rushing to and from places without looking where one’s going… yes, I could see how she’s perfect for you. So go ask her.”

“She’s always with Mercedes, and that woman’s got a list of suitors like ten miles long. Half the knights here think she’s cute.”

“Mercedes is rather attractive in a conventional sense of the word.”

“So you gotta back me up when I go ask her.”

“Is there no one else you’d ask?”

Lysithea sighed. Caspar and Linhardt. Loud, and nosy, respectively. She wished they’d both go do their gossiping somewhere besides the entrance to the Library. She didn’t even particularly like either of them very much, so the fact that they were loudly comparing the date-ability of the different girls in the Academy mere meters from her was more than a little infuriating. She tried to concentrate on the words in front of her but that just made the sounds of them chattering louder.

“Marianne is going with someone. I asked Leonie but she’s already going with someone too. Same with Ingrid. There was an actual _ tournament _ just to be able to ask Hilda.”

“Let me guess,” Linhardt retorted dryly, “You didn’t win.” 

“I couldn’t even make it to the semifinals. Sylvain beat half the guys there and we all knew he was just there because he was bored. Tall bastard is lucky he’s stronger than me… for now.”

The conversation was really beginning to grate on Lysithea’s nerves. Really, couldn’t they just go somewhere else? Anywhere else?

“He’s not stronger than you Caspar, you just have to… You know what, nevermind. So that’s it then? Annette’s the last girl left?”

“Yup. Unless you think I’m forgetting someone.”

“Not that I can recall.” 

“That’s it!” Lysithea snapped, more to herself than anyone else, but far too loud to conceal herself or her irritation anymore. “I’ve had it with these idiotic conversations about who should go with whom to this dumb ball. Maybe there’s a reason you two idiots don’t have dates yet - everyone else has been pairing off weeks ago. If you’re going to wait until the last minute, you morons should just go with each other and save some poor girl the embarrassment of having to turn you down. Besides, Annette already has a date. Now, I came here to study in peace and quiet and not to be bothered by this nonsense, but since you have disturbed my peace, I’ll be retiring to my room immediately. Move aside.” Lysithea snapped as she gathered all her belongings and marched straight through the two of them. 

She couldn’t understand why but she was shaking with rage, and it took all her self control to walk as normally as possible to the end of the hallway and round the corner before breaking off into a light trot in hopes of avoiding anyone else who might have overheard her unfortunate tirade.

“Whaddya think’s got her panties in a twist?” Caspar wondered aloud just before she broke earshot. 

She was glad she couldn’t hear Linhardt’s probably very astute observation that her name was the only one they had completely ignored. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Edelgard**

“My lady, the day of the ball is nearly upon us. Shall I vet the list of interested suitors once more? The pile of love letters is growing wearily large, I see.”

“Such is the burden of being the future Emperor,” Edelgard said with a sigh as she fluffed her hair before beginning to tie her hair ribbons in. Hubert often entered and departed her room unannounced, so his presence, even as she was preparing her attire, hair, and makeup for the day wasn’t so unusual. And yet there was a wariness to his movement and voice that she was unaccustomed to. Normally he wouldn’t have even asked her about her intents in this regard. Then again, normally, she would’ve told him... and he would’ve burned the letters by now. She was still trying to figure out what his intents were with the ball - he was mysterious as ever, but regarding matters of the heart she tried desperately not to ask questions that she wouldn’t want to answer herself. 

“Ah yes. Every social parasite in the monastery will be looking to cinch their way into the good graces of the future ruler of all of Fodlan. Shall I deal with the trash then? It really is beneath you to handle it yourself.” Hubert chided. She turned and regarded the tall, dark-haired man thoughtfully as she considered his word choice. But his sly yellow eyes betrayed even less than the omnipresent condescending smirk he wore. Impossible to read as always.

“By trash, I do hope you mean the letters and not the men who wrote them,” she said offhandedly, turning to get a better angle for tying her ribbon on the other side of her hair. He shrugged half-heartedly and chuckled. 

“As you please, my Lady. Who do you intend to go with, then?” 

“Are you asking for yourself?” Edelgard teased. She almost heard his breath catch, but his response sounded as smooth as ever in her ears. 

“No, my place is at your side, not on your arm, unless you desire it be so. I’m merely curious since you have not responded to any suitors thus far. Perhaps your sights are set on someone who has not yet written to you, or are you playing the political card of taking no suitor at all?”

“Who can say…?”

She sighed. There was wisdom in going with no one as a designated partner. With all of the things they’d had to plan and attend to, she hadn’t found time to seek out and ask the one person she thought might want to go for  _ her _ and not her status as the Emperor apparent, the head of her class, or merely even as a reasonably pretty young woman. She wanted someone who knew her…  _ the real her _ … But she wasn’t even sure if that person was interested in her in such a fashion… and certainly regardless, her choice was likely to raise eyebrows and cause some scandal. Going alone was the safest and most prudent bet.    
  
A shame. For once she wished she could be like she was as a child, so many years ago. Dancing in someone’s arms without the fate of the world resting on her shoulders for just one night. 

-*-

The week went by much as the previous weeks went by. The Professor was diligent in her lecturing and took time aside to practice one-on-one in subjects with students both in her class and without. And with their other projects largely in the hands of their subordinates and agents, Edelgard had little to do besides listen to the others preparing for the big day, which approached more rapidly than she expected.

She felt that rather suddenly, she found herself powdering her face, putting on a freshly cleaned uniform, tying her hair back into subtle braids and tying her ribbons just so before stepping out into the night air to hear the cheering and giggling and merrymaking of students, knights, and clergy alike. Sweet music emanated from the central hall of the monastery, while frustrated shouts directed at Sylvain (who else could ruin a night so quickly?) echoed out across the courtyard in stark opposition. Hubert shadowed her as he typically did, some fair distance back and always seemingly distracted and heading in a direction that was certainly not Edelgard’s while managing miraculously to keep pace with her. She hoped he wasn’t overexerting his magic, but found it hard to care overmuch about it once she finally came up to the grand hall that seemed so much…  _ grander _ now that it was properly decorated with streamers and candles, carpets instead of hard stone, and doormen instead of guards. 

“My Lady Edelgard, may I take your cloak?” 

“I suppose….”   


“Lady Edelgard! Might I have your first dance?” She sighed internally but turned on her most accommodating and friendly smile - prepared to play the role of princess for a night, instead of class leader, budding emperor, or ruthless warrior. But much like the latter role, the foremost was gifted an arsenal of weapons for her to employ, steps to take, and conditions to meet. She treated being a princess much like she treated battle, and armed herself accordingly. Her opponents lined up, with hopeful smiles, hollow compliments, and obvious intentions. She put on her most pleasant smile, prepared innocent laughter, and as much of a carefree demeanor as she could manage. 

“Of course.” 

It began. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Lysithea**

The ballroom was packed and the dancefloor was filled with couples spinning in tight loops, smiling and laughing. Blushes marked the faces of boys and girls alike as they asked one another to dance or departed the dance floor with soft sheens of sweat and genuine smiles on their faces. They looked so elegant and beautiful as they swayed and spun. She wished she could be out there. It hurt not to be. 

Luckily for her, the ball did contain the one thing she craved perhaps more than normalcy in her life: a dessert table that ran the full length of the room. Cakes and tarts and cookies galore lined the table, while little finger sandwiches both the savory (and therefore inferior) and sweet variety perched atop in neatly sliced triangles. Puddings of varying flavors and toppings rested in crystalline cups on one end while a healthy assortment of juices and very - very - mild wines dominated the other. Nothing took her mind away from her woes quite like a delectable cake. So she made her way to the snack table, found a plate, and set herself to task. 

She was a few slices deep when Dorothea sighed heavily and leaned against the wall beside Lysithea, a glass of wine in her hands and a look of utter exhaustion plastered across her face.

“Hello, Thea,” Dorothea said with a wink.

“Hi, Thea,” Lysithea said with a smile, a little warmed by the fact that Dorothea saw fit to keep on with her little inside nickname joke. Dorothea was really sweet, even if Lysithea didn’t see eye to eye with her on matters of courtship. And while she normally loved the tall, and admittedly dazzling, girl’s company, she really hoped Dorothea wasn’t about to complain about the night. Her mood and ego couldn’t take it. Not tonight. She steeled herself against the next set of words.

“After this drink, would you care to dance with me?” Dorothea asked. Lysithea blinked. That… that was not the follow-up she expected after such a heavy sigh.

“Are you not tired?” Lysithea’s mouth supplied automatically before her brain could hold back the self-sabotage.

“Oh, I’m positively exhausted,” She said with a short but genuine laugh, “but I love dancing, and the atmosphere here is so romantic, and I just… I’ve never danced with you. I’ve always been curious.”

“I cannot say I’m well practiced at it. And I’m not quite tall enough to make for a convenient partner.”

“Lucky for you, I can lead just as well as follow. So, sweet Thea,” Dorothea set her wine glass on the table and knelt down in front of Lysithea, gazing up with her deep green eyes locked onto her own, “Will you do me the honor of one dance?” 

Lysithea felt her face smoldering red with embarrassment and hastily scrambled backwards as some of the boys and girls around them took notice. 

“Only if you promise to never do that again.” She said, quite seriously. Dorothea laughed and smiled. 

“I’ll try, but you’re so cute when you’re flustered that I’m afraid I might not be able to resist wanting to see more.”

Lysithea blushed, and stammered to cover for her rapidly reddening face. “You’re treating me like a child again!” She tried to pout as best she could. Dorothea’s face took on a suddenly less platonic glow as she lowered her voice to a little above a low whisper.

“The things I’m thinking of doing to you in this moment are of the purely adult variety, I assure you.” She said. And Lysithea  _ knew _ her friend was just being a teasy flirt, and likely just for her sake to help lighten the mood. But something in her chest tightened and warmed all the same, and she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips.

Dorothea was a  _ phenomenal _ dancer. Lysithea had known that intellectually - Dorothea was known for putting on and starring in musical stage productions, had been a songstress, and was slowly dating her way through all of the reasonably eligible bachelors in the school. Her experience would likely be unrivaled. But what Lysithea didn’t expect was that she would have so much  _ fun _ dancing with someone who was much, much, much more talented at dancing than she was. For better or worse, she was usually the most skilled person in a room at anything, aside from the instructors. Sometimes. It was rare to find a classmate with more finesse than her, and that wasn’t bragging, it was observable fact. But there was something beautiful and artistic about dancing that she had never grasped until she was here in the moment. Her clumsy footfalls and difficulty matching rhythm were swept easily aside by Dorothea’s energy and gracefulness. Her feet always danced effortlessly away from Lysithea’s clipped stumblings, and she maintained easy control of their spinning and twirling. 

At the crescendo of the song, she dipped Lysithea low to the ground, leaving the younger girl flushed and breathless. And as clapping erupted around them, Lysithea felt her face burning red again as Dorothea’s green eyes and easy smile settled on her. She felt her heart skip a beat in a way that it never had before and she realized absently that she was in  _ a lot _ of trouble if she stayed here like this.

“I think… I need some water.” She squeaked out between breaths. Dorothea helped her up gently and nodded, wiping droplets of sweat from her forehead. They parted their way through the crowds back to the drink tables and heard whistling and cheers once they’d finally settled.

“I thought I’d spend all night watching our dear Princess and the Lord Apparent, but you two cut quite the figure out there,” Claude said easily. The tan-skinned, brown-haired house leader of the Golden Deer had probably been dancing beside them too, and now Lysithea went red for a completely different reason. She must have looked like a foolish oaf beside her class leader. But he’d never call her out on it even if it were true. Ugh, how mortifying. 

“I know, isn’t she beautiful?” Dorothea asked, gesturing to Lysithea. She swallowed another gulp of water from her glass, convinced that the first mouthful had somehow completely skipped her desert-dry throat.

“She truly is. It’s a shame we’re stuck in our basic class uniforms. A dress would certainly suit her better with all the twirling and dipping you did. I didn’t realize she was so talented a dancer.”

“I’m not,” Lysithea objected automatically, “Dorothea just covered for all of my mistakes.”

“Didn’t look that way from here. But if that’s the case, I should certainly want to ask her to cover for some of mine someday.”

“My dear Claude, are you attempting to charm a dance out of me?” Dorothea asked with a glint in her eyes. Lysithea felt her heartbeat slowly begin to drop now that the night was beginning to resemble something normal again.

“If I thought I were that charming, I would have led with it. But perhaps you and Lysithea will pity this little wallflower and take me out to the dance floor.”

Dorothea looked to Lysithea as if asking permission, and Lysithea felt a strange wave of annoyance flush through her. They were friends,  _ right? _ Why would Dorothea need to ask her to change dance partners. It was just dancing, and honestly Lysithea  _ was _ tired. 

“If you must,” she announced as regally as she could, to lighten her own mood and cover for the fact that something about the question irritated her to no end. Dorothea beamed and Claude flashed her a classic winning smile and she felt that she wasn’t annoyed  _ at _ Claude so much as something she couldn’t place nor quantify. She was still a little too full from previous snacks, so that the idea of eating more, and then possibly being asked to dance again, threatened to make her sick, so she simply sipped a glass of water and tried to watch the others dancing as before. Minutes and songs ticked by slowly, however, and none approached her to dance… or even chat.    
  
The mild sensation of loneliness that she’d expected to feel this night came back bigger and stronger than before. And the sinking feeling in her stomach was beginning to threaten to swallow her from the inside as - the more she watched - the more she began to realize how abnormal this night would be for her compared to other students. Leonie was chatting with Professor Byleth animatedly across the room. Marianne had sequestered herself into a lonesome corner and Ashe from the Blue Lions class had settled in beside her to chat quietly with her and she seemed… happy. Hilda was, quite literally, being fought over by two boys in one corner, and Lorenz for all of his painful striking-out with women throughout the year, was actually dancing with someone who  _ didn’t _ seem entirely repulsed by him. Everyone had somebody tonight… and she understood by the huddled heads in the corners of the room, the way hands touched arms… or waists… or other places. 

On the dance floor, Claude leaned in close to Dorothea and murmured something in her ears that caused a laugh and a giggle, and he placed a kiss on her cheek that she did not reel away from. Lysithea felt a cold, bitter sense of longing as the realization slowly dawned on her. Tonight was going to be a night of romance and passion for most of the students here, a night to remember. A night to mark the start of their new lives as adults. And here she was… just a child, standing alone against the wall, watching the world pass her by. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Lysithea**

Dancing and laughter filled the air around her as Lysithea stood and watched, feeling helplessly trapped in her own body. She tried not to follow dancers circling the floor. She tried not to eye couples smiling and touching in the wings. She tried not to search the room for the familiar swath of platinum blonde hair tied with ribbons, and pale orchid eyes. But of course, the vision caught her all the same, as a half dozen boys swarmed around El… 

A sudden wave of anger flashed through her and she turned and stalked toward the nearest exit, out into the darkness and away from the music and sounds and reminders that she was totally, _ utterly _ alone in her suffering. She could feel it now that her anger and frustration was in full swing - the low but painful buzzing of her crests in conflict with one another within her blood and flesh. When she was calm, or focused, the pain subsided or she tuned it out or something, but now with nothing to distract her from her rage and despair, they seemed more active than ever and the pain went from a low sting to a raging furnace of agony in seconds. 

_ Calm down, Lysithea, _ she thought desperately _ . Focus on something, anything. In the fourth month of the year 1132… _

History lessons sometimes calmed her, but the burning persisted. She forced mathematical equations through her head, solving each in seconds, but her blood felt like it was on fire. Everything hurt and her vision was beginning to blur in the darkness. There wasn’t enough to focus on mentally. She was full of energy, and she had to _ get it out _. 

She ran. She ran around the courtyard, looping south past dormitories and the artificial pond and the dining hall, back north past the stables and the knight’s quarters and training rooms. Left at the northernmost buildings until she came upon students in the distance, curled in each other’s arms, lips locked and oblivious to the world. She veered away from them automatically, into more looming shadows, running up and down stone stairwells until her chest hurt and her heart and brain throbbed. 

But the exertion had focused her thoughts on her feet, on the feel of uneven stones beneath them and on correcting her posture to keep from tripping. It had forced her to concentrate on controlling her breathing so she didn’t tire out instantly, or collapse to the ground and vomit all over everything. Now with her heart pumping and the blood flowing, her Crests had calmed down somewhat, and the agonized burning had died down to something lower… more manageable. 

Still painful but, as she focused her thoughts on school subjects she needed to review, and lists of books she needed to acquire and other things that needed to be done later, it slowly but surely cooled back down to something manageable. She sighed and gazed upward from where she collapsed… she was on the western balcony of the Cathedral plaza… near the Goddess Tower. 

How long had she been out here? The moon had slowly risen, casting a ghastly light to everything nearby. She tried not to think too hard about that, and tried to guess the hour of the night based on shadows and star-charts. She likely had been collapsed for over an hour, which meant that events back at the ball were likely in full swing. The thought was a sad and sobering one. Worse, as the night progressed, students might start sneaking off to the Goddess Tower to make their silly wish to be together forever. She didn’t want to be caught out here, certainly not alone, and tried to will her feet and legs back to life. Footsteps unfortunately caught her attention, and as she turned she found herself face to face with Edelgard. 

“Oh, here you are…” Edelgard said, something like relief in her voice. But she looked around, and her eyes slowly drifted to the tower, and her tone became a little more clipped and guarded as she continued. “Are you waiting for someone?” 

Lysithea paled. She could lie and say she was waiting for someone. Waiting for Dorothea maybe, would be believable. But the idea of lying to Edelgard made her feel… something. So she sighed and shook her head.

“I’m not.” It sounded sadder in her ears than she’d intended to.

“I see… I’m glad you came out to the ball, although I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you earlier tonight. I had hoped to see you in the ballroom, but I was rather… busier than I hoped to be.”

“You’re beautiful and powerful, there’s no surprise that everyone wanted to see you.” 

“Everyone… except you.” Edelgard said carefully. Lysithea tried to formulate some kind of reply, but it died on her lips. Her chest was still sore from the impromptu jog, and besides… everything she intended to say would sound foolish anyway. _ Oh, I was too scared to seek you out and ask for your attention when a dozen boys were fighting over which order to ask you to dance in. And besides, you always treat me like a child, so what could we talk to each other about anyway? _

Edelgard regarded her silence with the same careful expression before speaking up again.

“I heard from Claude that you and Dorothea had danced, and that you had left in this direction, so I thought you were waiting for her. I did not wish to interrupt anything but I was… worried about you.”

“So you came to check up on the lonely girl, is that it?” Lysithea spat. Edelgard sighed, and her footsteps came dangerously nearby, but Lysithea couldn’t bear to look up. 

“I came because I wanted to see you tonight. I owe you an apology for not asking you to dance earlier.” 

Lysithea was confused but had nothing to say to that, so she pulled her knees to her chest and continue staring at the ground.

“Would you… dance with me now?”

“I don’t need your pity.” Lysithea grumbled. Edelgard frowned.

“It isn’t pity,” she began.

“All you do is pity me! Poor pitiful Lysithea. She’s small and frail and works herself to death. You know all about my crests and my pain and how little time I have left, but all you do is treat me like a child. You probably only came all this way because the others saw me run away crying-” She said before she could stop the words. A cool sense of shock rolled through her at her own words, but now that they were out in the open, there was no taking them back.

“I didn’t… no one saw you crying. I really did believe that you were here waiting for Dorothea. When I saw you two dancing, you looked so happy. I didn’t want to interrupt. But I also didn’t want to go through this night without seeing you. And I’m glad I found you here in particular, even if it isn’t going exactly the way I had hoped… Can I tell you why?”

Lysithea shrugged. 

“This place, the Goddess Tower… It was special to my parents. My father attended the Officers Academy himself. A few years after graduating, he was crowned emperor. One day, during a visit to the monastery, he snuck into the Goddess Tower on a nostalgic whim. And there she was, my mother. She had just enrolled in the academy that very year. They were instantly drawn to each other. Love at first sight, you could say. It was the first time either had truly been in love… or so the story goes.”

Lysithea didn’t feel her confusion easing in the slightest. This story… it sounded so lovely, so romantic. 

“It’s a beautiful story,” Lysithea stated, unsure of what else she _ should _ say. 

“Have you ever been in love, Lysithea?” Edelgard asked. Lysithea could sense her pale skin going even whiter at the question. This kind of question… it was a cruel one to ask. What was she to say? She didn’t know. She was younger than anyone here, had lived her life trapped in an estate and experimented on until her second Crest manifested and she’d been abandoned because the “success” had completely destroyed her body’s ability to function normally. She had never gone on dates, danced with anyone who wasn’t family, or even been kissed. And Edelgard _ knew _ that!

“You know the answer,” She hissed. 

“Well, I’ve only ever been in love twice,” Edelgard said, “Once to a noble in the Kingdom long ago when I was a foolish child - the brief period when I was kidnapped no less, so I’m not even sure if it counts. The other… is now. It wasn’t love at first sight like my parents... and it came as such a surprise that I’m still getting used to the idea.” 

Lysithea hugged her knees tighter.

“The person I love… is incredibly hard working, even though no one acknowledges the effort they put in every day. Life has put so many challenges in front of them… has hurt them so badly that it’s impossible to see how anyone could have survived it, and yet they did. They did it alone, which is more than I can say for myself. They can be a little bratty, and have a bit of a temper, but they’re also earnest and caring, and always try to help out others when they can. And even though she’s mad at me right now, I’m hoping she’ll give me a chance to start tonight over.” 

Edelgard was kneeling in front of Lysithea now, reaching out toward her, pink eyes fixated on her own, tight worry lines crinkling at the edges of her eyes. 

“Lysithea, please. Will you dance with me?” 

“Please don’t tease me.”

“I’m not-,”

“Let me finish,” Lysithea demanded, snapping her eyes up to meet Edelgard’s with all of the seriousness and severity that she faced every task with. “I have thought about you every single day since I met you. I know that you will be Empress someday. I know what kind of responsibility that entails. I know that you will have to make practical decisions and I accepted that when I swore to follow you and help you in your goals to change this world. And no matter how sad or lonely or angry I am tonight, that will never change. So don’t do this…” Lysithea gestured around her, “unless you truly mean it. I can follow you even if you don’t love me back. But I won’t survive if you simply pretend to.” 

The words just came. One after another, and Lysithea had no regrets about saying them… even if she hadn’t planned on her speech going quite this way nor quite so long. But it was the truth, and one so real that it hurt.

Edelgard dipped her head and a low giggle escaped from her mouth. Lysithea scowled. She had just bared her soul. Now was _ not _ the time for laughter.

“I feel like a child being lectured. One who deserves it no less.” she said lightheartedly, and with the same tone she continued, “Lysithea von Ordelia, as your future empress, I order you to stand up.” 

“What-,” Lysithea began to ask, but Edelgard simply shook her head and stood firm, waiting. With a huff, Lysithea pushed herself up to her feet.

“There, your majesty. Now what-,” hands planted firmly on her shoulders, and soft lips pressed against hers as silver hair cascaded against her own. Shock faded as the softness burning against her lips took over and Lysithea felt her eyes drift closed automatically. Her hands found their way up and around Edelgard’s neck as she melted into the kiss, pressed herself into Edelgard, needing to feel her, needing to know that this was truly real. Edelgard pulled away after a short eternity, her cheeks flushed red, eyes glimmering, her smile gentle and genuine. She leaned in, and pressed her forehead to Lysithea’s softly, so close that Lysithea could almost taste her lips once again.

“Please forgive me.” Edelgard murmured, “For not realizing your feelings for me. For not realizing my own feelings for you for so long. For missing the chance to dance with you. And for abusing my authority in a moment of weakness.” 

“I suppose I should apologize as well. I was being a bit difficult.” Her heart was still pounding heavily from the kiss, and something in her body yearned for more. “ And I’m not certain that you’ve abused your authority in any way. I... am yours to command.” She was nervous, but she didn’t dare move. Didn’t dare look away. In this moment, the world was just the space between her and Edelgard. Beneath the tower… bathed in moonlight, time had stopped for one precious moment. She longed to be closer. To feel arms wrapped around her, lips pressed against her. She wanted… she hoped. But it wasn’t hers to demand. Everything rested on what this woman before her said next.

“And if I wanted to kiss you again?” Edelgard tested, sounding… almost nervous herself.

“I would gladly obey,” Lysithea answered, and leaned up to place a tender kiss against Edelgard’s chin. 

Hands settled around her waist and Edelgard pulled her close. The kiss was impossibly soft, warm and tender and beautiful. Her eyes fluttered closed as her heart swelled in her chest, and for a beautiful eternity, she melted into Edelgard’s lips. And as the kiss slowly ended and Lysithea glanced up to ask for more, a single finger pressed to her lips.

Edelgard took one hand in hers, and placed the other delicately on Lysithea’s waist. She began swaying to the tuneless night, and Lysithea followed as best she could.


End file.
